before a journey...

He had bathed early...
got shaved too...
and when Isabella discovered him
he was seemingly busy...
the computer screen
was blue...
and the early morning's light
had not yet cast its fullest glory...

Isabella looked at the screen
of his computer...
a song was on
'How many roads must a man walk down
before you call him a man?'
Robert Allen Zimmerman...
By Bob he was popularly known...

'Buon giorno...signorina...'
Francesco smiled
seeing Isabella standing fixed like a picture...
happy and sad...

'Buon giorno...'
Isabella replied...
her voice was thin...
feeble...
for Francesco would be going out...
a short trip...
he had said...
somewhere near...
for thirty hours or so...
still she knew
it would be
another journey for him...

the GPRS download was on
to his hard disc drive...
he was putting flags on different spots...
marking them with varied dots...

'feeling bad still?
don't you know
how much important
these little journeys for me?
these...
viaggi brevi?
for us?
perhaps...'
Francesco asked...
looking into Isabel's eyes-
with which he the whole neopolitan sky attached...

'si...'
Was her reply...
short...
simple...
sounding like a sigh...

Francesco stopped...
from his backpack
he looked up...

came near to Isabel...
held her soft palms...
and took her near the window
and the blue and white sky he showed
to her...
'see...
the sky...
ain't it beautiful?
the clouds...
aren't they like painted surf white?
why worry?
I 'll be all right...'

Isabella said nothing...
she knew these moments needed nothing...
only an assurance...
Hope...
and
Faith...
they never cause any mission delayed...

so she smiled...
and asked
'Lemon tea?'

Francesco nodded
with unexpressed glee...

and the song was still on
by Bob...
'How many roads must a man walk down
before you call him a man?'